


First Time

by MyHero



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Bromance, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Failed Mission, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gen, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Kid!Robin, Minor Character Death, Robin has expierence, Robin offers advice, Robin tries to hlep, Sad, Scars, Young Robin, daddy!Bats, season one, shot, villain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-21
Updated: 2013-04-21
Packaged: 2017-11-14 17:24:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/517705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyHero/pseuds/MyHero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was the first time - for the most of the team - that they have ever lost a civilian during mission. Robin is the only one who has the experience, who knows how to cope. You have to learn how to manage or you will be dragged down by the guilt.</p><p>The team face their first death of a civilian leaving most of the team haunted by guilt. Robin shares about his first death on the job, and the team learn how to heal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Haunted

**Author's Note:**

> a Title: First Time
> 
> Word count: Last time I checked; about 1968 words.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and I write completely for fun and not for profit!
> 
> Beta: Thank you to youngjusticefanatic, as always you are amazing! No matter what I throw at you, you always help! And thanks to KTrevo for some help in between!

Batman waited as the ship landed in silence. The only sound was the distant hiss of the bay doors closing. It only took a few seconds for the ship door to fall open and the first member of the team exited. Artemis fled down the ramp - head ducked and chin resting against her chest - racing towards the door. The quiver on her back was almost empty except for three loose arrows and her bow slung around her shoulder. The archer ignored Batman's presence and disappeared from view down the hall.

Aqualad staggered out behind the blond. The leader met the Dark Knight's gaze and held it for a few seconds before ducking away. Kaldur stepped to the side to allow his teammates to pass, the teen's shoulders hung as if the weight of the world were upon them.

Superboy emerged through the doorway of the ship. At first glance, the teen was practically radiating frustration. Superboy avoided Batman's gaze but the senior hero could, see the slight changes from his normal angry face. There was a scrunch of the nose, and slight glisten to the eyes, and Batman knew there was more than meets the eye. Superboy stomped to Aqulad's side, but Kaldur signaled the clone to leave with a small nod. Connor waited for a moment before nodding back and stiffly walking out of the room.

Wally slipped out after the clone; the usually hyperactive teen dragged his feet across the floor and kept his head down. There were no joking remarks, and his usual smile was gone, there was just watery eyes glued to his feet. The teen shuffled his way out of the room and down the hall at a surprisingly slow pace.

Megan floated off the ship, hanging low to the ground, her feet almost dragging across the floor. Her face was contorted in sadness and her eyes were glossy with unshed tears. The Martian looked up at Batman with teary eyes, before flying out of the room leaving the sound of choked sobs in her wake. The sound fading as she fled down the hall.

Robin was at the end of the line and took his time exiting the ship. The Boy Wonder's steel-toed boots hit the floor with a small thud and the ships door closed almost instantly behind him. The silence was heavy as it fell on the three heroes. Robin cast a glance between Aqualad and Batman, his face blank. The youngest hero refused to leave until signaled by Batman, and crossed his arms over his chest – ready to wait.

Seconds turned to minutes and time passed slowly. Robin was used to Batman's waiting game; Kaldur on the other hand began to fidget. "We messed up." Aqualad began, forcing himself to make eye contact with Batman.

The senior hero's expression remained the same, waiting for the teen to continue.

"We lost one of the hostages." Kaldur muttered. Unable to hold Batman's gaze any longer the teen ducked his head, his gaze locking on a small stain on the cement floor.

Batman frowned at the team leader, the action barely noticeable to the untrained eye. "You may go Aqualad." Batman announced, signaling to the door.

The team's leader nodded in return and turned towards the exit. Kaldur followed his friends, pausing for a moment at the doorway, hand resting on the metal frame. His mouth open and closed for a moment, before his hand fell to his side and Aqualad disappeared though the exit.

A few seconds passed before Batman turned his gaze towards his partner. Eyes burned though the teen's forehead, waiting for the younger hero to speak.

"I think they're in shock." Robin muttered, shifting from foot to foot before meeting his father's gaze.

"And you?" Batman asked, voice a low grumble.

Robin shrugged, turning his back towards he mentor. "I don't know..." He trailed off with another shrug, "I think it's the first time any of them have lost a civilian." The brunette stretched his arms in the air and rolled his shoulders. "Probably the first time for most of them has had to watch someone die." He added, as an afterthought.

Batman remained quiet, watching his ward with calculating eyes. Bruce mentally shook himself and reminded himself that Dick was only thirteen. Robin looked to old, past thirteen years, and in many ways, he was. His skills, both physical and mental, his experiences both on and off the field, Dick was more than just a normal boy. But no matter how much he pretends or what happens, Robin was still a child. And no child should be used to death.

"I'm kicking myself for not getting there in time." The Boy Wonder continued, "We all are." Robin turned back to face Batman. "There was nothing more we could have done, at least not at that moment. I know we did our best, and sometimes it won't ever be enough." The acrobat's expression grew serious. Dick seemed to be talking more to himself then Bruce.

Batman nodded in agreement, "You're right."

Bruce studied his son, as the teen stared down the wall over the Dark Knights shoulder. He was proud of Dick, it can be hard to accept that you did your best while in the face of a tragedy - Batman knew that first hand. Often heroes get lost in the loss and feeling of failure. They get lost, and some don't come back from it. But at the same time Bruce was left with a feeling of guilt buried deep in his gut."Do you want to return to Gotham?" Batman asked, voice soft, compared to his usual gruff growl that emitted from under the cowl.

Bruce was never a man of emotion, especially when in the Batman persona. The question was simple but Robin knew the words that were left unsaid. Bruce was concerned.

Dick took a moment to think, what did he want? Well there were many things he wanted, his parents alive, for Roy to be on the team, to have made it in time - to save the woman who died, but that wasn't what Bruce was asking. Right now, Robin just wanted to take a hot shower, maybe get something to eat and go to bed.

The Boy Wonder shook his head slowly, giving his mentor a small smile. "For now I think I'll stay with the team."

Batman stared down at his son, and it took Dick a moment to realize it wasn't Batman but Bruce's concerned gaze that watched him. "Alright." The Dark Knight nodded, "I will be back tomorrow. You know how to reach me if I am needed." Robin smiled at his father, as the senior hero backed away towards the Bat-moble.

"Night Bruce," Robin called, allowing for a moment for Dick to shine through the mask.

The edges of Bruce's usually scowling face turned up, "Good Night Dick." The Dark Knight climbed into his car, and with a rev of the engine, he was out of the cave disappearing into the darkness of the outside world.

Robin waited a moment, staring down the now closed bay doors that his adoptive father disappeared though. The mountain's ship hanger fell silent leaving Robin alone with his thoughts. A hand subconsciously rubbed small circles into his left shoulder. The Boy Wonder sighed, the small sound echoed against the rock walls. Robin turned on his heels – letting his hand drop to his side – following the path his teammates took minutes earlier.

* * *

Robin shuffled his feet across the floor, in the direction of his bedroom, suddenly feeling sore and exhausted. By the time, Dick reached the door his body had grown heavy – his limbs filled with lead. Stiff fingers typed in the code and the steel door slid open, allowing the owner entrance. The teen began to strip when the door closed behind him. Belt, cape and other parts of the Boy Wonders uniform landed on the floor, as Robin turned his direction towards his bathroom. The hot water called to him and his aching muscles. Dick paused in front of the mirror, his blue eyes skimming over the crisscross of scars across his chest until landing on the small pale mark on his left shoulder. A finger traced over the lightly puckered skin, the memories flashing before his eyes. Dick's free hand grabbed hold of the sink basin, his knuckles turned white in his tight grip. The Boy Wonder forced the memories away with a stiff shake and pushed away from the mirror, staggering into the shower and turning the water as high as it would go.

Half an hour later, Robin slipped back through his bedroom door, in search for something to calm his grumbling stomach. Fatigue from the days mission, melted away with his shower. A pair of gray sweat pants hung around his hips, a purple Gotham Knights shirt on his shoulders, and a clean mask still plastered on his face. The Boy Wonder wandered through the kitchen, stopping for a few moments to make himself a light snack. Two pieces of bread, a layer of turkey, some lettuce, a slice of tomato, and a squirt of mustard later the teen was on the move again, sandwich balanced on a plate in his left hand. The common room was empty and dark. The rest of the team must have locked themselves away for the night. Robin sighed before launching himself over the back of the couch, landing with a small thud on the cushions. The sandwich remained perfectly balanced as the teen searched for the remote.

Robin flicked his wrist, turning on the wall-sized television, a few more clicks and the volume fell to a whisper. Plate resting in his lap, Robin changed channels with his left hand, holding his food in the right. Light flickered as different shows flashed across the high-def screen. Hannah Montana, Teen Titans, the nightly news, Glee... nothing held the Boy Wonders interest. Robin sighed, pressing the power button to the remote sending the room into darkness.

Plate still full of sandwich in hand, Robin launched himself back over the couch and into the kitchen. The Boy Wonder put his uneaten sandwich in the fridge before heading off to his bedroom. The teen pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the floor. Two pillows from his bed followed shortly after. The teen peeled off his mask and placed it on his bedside table before slipping under the navy sheets of his queen-sized bed. Dick was pulled into a dreamless sleep, memories threatening from the edges of his subconscious.  


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: First Time
> 
> Word count: 2,405 words
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and I write completely for fun and not for profit!
> 
> Beta: Thank you to youngjusticefanatic, as always you are amazing! No matter what I throw at you, you always help! And thanks to KTrevo for some help in between!
> 
> Summary: It was the first time - for the most of the team - that they have ever lost a civilian during mission. Robin is the only one who has the experience, who knows how to cope. Bruce is reminded of how much Dick has changed, the little bird gives some advice and the team grows just a little closer.
> 
> AN: Hey guys! I was planning on finishing this before posting but I have hit a dead-end - so to speak - so I decided to post what I have. It was a good place to end and around 2,000 words, so I gave in and posted.
> 
> Sorry for the wait, and I apologise if the next chapter isn't up for a while.
> 
> I hope you enjoy and please REVIEW!
> 
> P.s. Is anyone interested in making me a banner for either this, or any of my stories let me know! A banner being the picture things you put at the side of the story... or the top. Does anyone know what I am talking about? Anyways, if you know what I am saying and are interested, let me know! I was actually thinking of doing a challenge where people send me banners/pictures and I base a picture off of it, But I have a lot on my plate right now anyways. But if anyone wants to try it, I am game.

"I will hurt you." Robin muttered the side of his face pressed into his pillow, and his left hand hung off the side of the bed. A dark blue blanket covered the teen from the waist down, the top of his gray sweat pants peeked out from under the blue. Faint scars trailed across the Boy Wonders back as he slept on his stomach.

"How did you know it was me?" Wally cried whipping off his night vision goggles and pouting into the darkness. "You were asleep." The redhead defended, letting his goggles fall to Robin's bedroom floor.

"Wally, I am trained by the Bat." Robin grumbled, shifting in his bed and pulling up his dangling arm.

Kid Flash waited for this best friend to continue, but was met with silence. Wally took it as a sign he should just come in. The red-head scooped up one of Dick's stray pillows from the floor, and crawled over his friend to wedge himself between the half-sleeping bird and the wall. His legs were draped over Robin's and the pillow cushioned his back against the stonewall.

"What's up Wally?" the younger boy mumbled into his pillow.

The speedster opened and closed his mouth a few times, while staring down at his hands.

Dick didn't pressure the redhead to continue.

Wally couldn't find the right words, there was just too much. His mind was racing and the memories flashed in his mind's eye. He didn't realize his hands were shaking until Dick touched his arm. The speedster blinked back the fog of tears and memories and caught the eye of his blue-eyed best friend.

"Wanna get something to eat?" Dick suggested his voice gentle as if speaking to a spooked child.

Wally nodded silently.

The Boy Wonder rolled out of bed and grabbed the closest pair of sunglasses off the nightstand. The teen snagged a zip-up hoodie off his desk chair and slipped it on – leaving it unzipped - before turning to look expectantly at Wally. "How do I look?" he asked, letting his sunglasses slid to the tip of his nose and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Wally forced a snort, "Cute Boy Blunder, but you got nothing on the Wall-Man." The redhead launched himself from the bed and struck a pose. On hand on his hip, the other on his head and elbows out, the teen winked at the open room.

Their eyes met, and the two burst out laughing.

"Dude, you look ridiculous." Dick gasped.

"Like you're any better." Wally said, imitating his best friends' eyebrow wiggle.

Robin rolled his eyes, "Let's go get something to eat. I'm starving."

Neither teen said anything as Wally squeezed Dick's shoulder in a silent thank you.

* * *

The duo stopped in the doorway, taking in the sight of the rest of the team gathered around the kitchen.

The room was silent and the tension could be cut with a knife. The two friends shared a quick look before heading towards the fridge. Robin pulled out his sandwich from earlier and handed it to the speedster. The red-head glanced at the food then his friend, only to have Dick wave him away. Wally shrugged and accepted the snack; the teen held it close to his chest as he slid into place between Artemis and Aqualad at the table.

Robin pulled out an apple and a bottle of water for himself, letting the fridge door fall shut on its own. The Boy Wonder strolled casually around the kitchen island and hoisted himself up to sit on the counter next to Superboy. The clone leaned against the marble top; Megan sat in a stool at his side.

The Boy Wonder took a bite of his apple, the crunch echoed around the room. Wally was almost silent as he ate his sandwich. A few minutes past and the duo finished off their own snacks.

"The shock wears off." Five pairs of eyes snapped towards Robin. The teen weighed the browning apple core in his hand, avoiding the teams' gazes. "You just have to give it time. But it usually gets worse before it gets better." He continues. "I know it's a lot right now, but trust me, it'll get better." The teen paused, "If you let it." He adds.

"Does it ever go away?" Megan asked, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Honestly?" Robin said, letting out a long sigh. "No."

The silence was heavy on the team.

"I was ten." The Boy Wonder announced, his eyes were glued to his slowly singing feet. "It was my second month of patrol. Batman had been training me for almost a year, and I thought I was ready for anything." The teen paused and slipped a hand under his sweatshirt to rub his left shoulder. "Then I met the Two Face for the first time."

* * *

**"It was like any other night, Batman and I were on patrol…"**

_They heard over the police scanner that Two-Face took Gotham Central Bank hostage. Harvey had yet to make any demands, but things were already looking grim. The dynamic duo arrived at the bank with their usual ninja like stealth, sinking into the shadows on the roof._

_"Robin, stay here." Batman growled, pulling a batarang out of his belt and making quick work of the padlock on the roof access door._

_Robin rolled his eyes, "Bats come on-" The Boy Wonder was cut short by a glare from the Dark Knight. "Fine," he muttered, throwing himself to the nearest gargoyle and taking a seat. "I'll just wait here."_

_"Robin." There was a warning in Batman's voice._

_"I know, I'm still new and Two-Face is unpredictable." Robin mumbled. The stop light coloured hero crossed his legs and signed for Batman to go on. "I'll be here if you need me."_

_The Dark Knight gave a grunt of approval and disappeared into the building._

_Robin huffed to the now empty bank roof and glanced impatiently over the edge at the gathering of police cars. Gordon was yelling orders at his men, while bracing himself behind the driver side door of his vehicle. The entire police force winced in unison at the sudden screech of the building's intercom._

_Harvey Dent's voice was muffled to the outside world, "Listen here Batman, if I or any of my men even see your shadow someone will be going a round with my coin." A scream echoed off the surrounding buildings, followed by the deep chuckle of Two Face. "Hopefully luck will be in their favor." The announcement cut off with another small thumb, leaving the area in an eerie silence._

_The idea started forming and Robin was off the gargoyle and heading towards the roof entrance. The schematics of the Banks ventilation system lit up his face as he silently crept down the hall, coming to a stop in front of a ventilation grate. A smirk rested on the boy's face, as he pulled the panel away and crawled into the metal maze. It only took Robin a few minutes to find the right spot. Masked eyes stared down on Two Face and his henchmen. A group of hostages cowered in the corner; a single woman sat shaking, in a chair in the center of the room. Harvey walked in small slow circles around her, gun in one hand, coin in the other._

_Robin fingered one of the pockets of his belt, pulling out a handful of smoke pellets and dropping them though the vent. Black smoke sent the room into darkness, giving The Boy Wonder the opportunity to strike. The boy dropped onto the first henchman knocking him out in one swoop. The second crumpled to the ground after being hit by the blind swing of his friends bat. A hit to the knees and a well-placed kick to the side of the head knocked out a third. By the time the smoke cleared five unconscious bodies littered the marble floors, and Robin stood triumphantly in the middle of the mess._

_Harvey clicked the safety off the gun and placed it to the hostages head, catching the eye of the masked vigilantly, "So you must be the infamous Robin the Boy Wonder." Two-Face growled. His silver coin was poised in his other hand ready to flip._

_Robin's smirk flickered at the firearm in the man's hand before his gaze settled on the man's split face. "Harvey Dent."_

_"I gave you a warning." The coin danced in between the man's fingers, "And it looks like she –" Harvey nudged the woman's head with the barrel of gun. "Will be testing the odds."_

_"I'm not Batman." Robin blurted, forcing down the sudden panic and plastering his smirk back on. "You might want to get your eyes checked. I would recommend contacts instead of glasses; I don't know how you would keep them on without an ear." The boy nodded to the side of the villains head. "Might not work out so well."_

_Two-Face ignored the Boy Wonders baiting, "Let's let the coin decide if you meet the requirements." With a flick of his thumb, the coin was launched into the air, landing back in the man's palm a second later. "I guess you are close enough." Harvey hissed smirk spreading across his face, readying to launch the coin again._

_Robin could sense Two-Face's henchmen approaching from behind. "I'm not-"_

_Harvey flicked his thumb, watching as the coin flipped through the air. Grubby fingers gripped the Boy Wonder by the arm holding him in place._

_" - Batman."_

_Two-Face pulled the safety off the gun and pressed it to the one of the hostages head. Non-burnt fingers clenched around the coin once more, as Harvey leered at the sidekick. Robin swallowed down his fear and forced out a smirk. "How's your luck Boy Wonder?"_

_A loud pitch screeching filled the bank lobby interrupting the Boy Wonder before he could blurt out a witty response. The goons released Robin, in favor for clutching at their ears. The Boy Wonder only had a few seconds to pull a mask from his belt, before the wall blew releasing a wave of gray smoke into the room. The cover crept in, sending the room into a fog – thickening at their feet._

_"It's the Bat!" Howled one of the henchmen._

_The sound of flesh hitting flesh and gunshots faded to the back of Robin's mind. His focus turned to where he last saw Two Face. The Boy Wonder slipped though the smoke – using it as a cover to catch the coin obsessed villain by surprise. Two-Face was waiting with the gun still pressed to the side of the hostages' head, and coin resting in his palm. A smile grew across the man's face, stretching the burnt skin around where his cheek once had been. Harvey flicked his wrist and rolled his coin to pinch it between his thumb and pointer finger. Robin had a split second to register the coin before he launched himself forward. The sound of a gunshot broke though the wall of silence; bring the world crashing back down. A choked scream echoed in his head and blood sprayed across the floor. The woman crumpled to the floor in a heap and puddle of blood forming under her body._

_Shock froze the young hero, leaving him unable to react the incoming fist. Robin stumbled backwards, barely able to catch himself before falling to the ground; his masked gaze tore away from the body and met Two-Faces' mocking stare. "Another round Boy Wonder?"_

_The smoke was fading, and Robin could see the Batman's shadow looming from behind the villain. "I don't know Harvey; the odds don't seem to be in my favor."_

_Two-Face pointed the barrel of his gun at the R on Robin's chest. "How about we play for different stakes?" The hero wasn't given a chance to choose and Harvey tossed the coin into the air._

_Batman launched himself from the shadows and pulled Two-Face to the floor. There was a crack, followed by a gunshot and the light clatter of a coin._

**"… Then everything went black."**


	3. Chapter 3

Megan wiped away a stray tear with one of her shaking hands; the other had a death grip on Superboy's fingers. "What happened?" She whispered, as if scared to ask.

"Harvey Dent was knocked unconscious when he hit the floor." Robin said, letting the shoulder of his sweatshirt slide down revealing his left shoulder. "But one of Two-Face's men had a gun." He muttered, placing a finger right below the mark. "It was through and through; missed the bone and any of the important things."

"But it still hurt." Artemis stated her gaze locked on the scare, her knuckles turning white as she clenched her fists. "You were still shot."

"Yeah." The Boy Wonder breathed, shrugging his sweatshirt back into place. "But at least I lived."

Megan's gasp seemed to suck all the sound out of the room, leaving a heavy silence to settle in.

"It was my fault." Dick announced, raising a hand before his friends could protest. "But it wasn't." The teen tore his gaze away from the floor to catch the eye of each of his friends. "If I had just listened to Batman instead of getting over my head, maybe Bat's could have saved all the hostages. If I had acted just a few seconds sooner I could have stopped Two-Face. If I pulled a bat-a-rang I could have knocked the gun out of his hand." Robin trailed off, gripping the edge of the counter to hide the trembling in his hands. Superboy's hand ghosted over the smaller teen's arm. The Boy Wonder flinched away, flashing an apologetically smile at Connor. "It ate me up inside for months and the guilt only seemed to grow. It took me a while to figure it out."

The team stared at the Boy Wonder expectantly. "Figure what out?" Wally asked.

"How to accept it." Robin said, "I had to accept that I did my best. And no matter what happened it could have been worse. Because I was there one person died, but if I wasn't, more people could have been injured." Robin continued. "Asking 'what if' goes both ways. What if I hadn't been there to distract Harvey; he could have shot another hostage. Or Batman might not have been able to make his move. Maybe things could have gone better but it could have gone a whole lot worse too. You can think about it as much as you want but asking 'what if' won't change what happened."

"So we have to accept it to forget it." Superboy growled.

"No, you have to accept to move on." Robin explained, "You can't forget." He added with a bitter laugh.

"A hostage died." Wally spoke up, "Because we were too slow." Everyone could hear the guilt; because I was too slow. "How can we just let that go?"

"You can't think about it that way Wally," Robin said, "You need to accept it or else it is going to eat you alive. Every time you close your eyes you will see their faces, you will hear the screams. If you don't accept that you did your best, you will be haunted for the rest of your life." Robin glared down at the floor.

"How do we…" Wally trailed off, wincing at the crack in his voice. "How?" he finished helplessly, blinking back tears.

"How do we accept failure?" Artemis continued for him running her shaking fingers through her blond hair. "How do we accept the fact that someone died because we couldn't do our jobs?"

"By deciding that you will do something about it," Robin said, his shoulders pulled. "Instead of spending the next two weeks, or months, or however long you were going to wallow in self-hatred, channel that emotion into getting better. Sometimes you can't save everyone, but the more time you wait to think about it, the more lives that might be lost."

"We need to train through it?" Artemis said, tilting her head to the side.

Robin gave a half shrug, "Kind of. Turn it into motivation to work harder. Just don't let it become your obsession." He let out a humorless laugh, "Obsession can leave you blind to everything else."

"You know this from experience?" Connor asked, brow furrowing.

Robin gave a pained smile, "That's how I got the job."

Megan gasped hand flying to her check, "But I thought…" She muttered, her eyes' flashing to Robins covered shoulder.

Robin dropped his gaze to the floor. "That was the first time I was the cause, but not the first time I have dealt with death." He whispered. They could hear the edge in Robin's voice telling them not to push it. "Plus, obsession is kind of the Bats thing." His voice had a forced lightness to it. "It takes practice to not let it completely blind you."

"So we train more," Wally said, glancing around the room.

Aqualad caught his eye, "Learn to be ready if the situation arises again," he continued.

Artemis nodded in agreement "Learn from the experience," she finished.

Robin nodded, "This won't hold you back from being a hero unless you let it," he said.

"How many have you…" Artemis trailed off.

Robin shook his head, "You can't compare. I'm from Gotham."

Connor snorted, "So?" clenching his jaw.

"Gotham has the highest murder rate in the country and that's just based off the bodies that are found. That's not including the missing persons, both reported and unreported."

"What does that have to do with it?" Connor interrupted.

Robins face went dark, "How do you add it up Con? Is it just the people I was there to watch die? What about the people are who caught in the crossfire? Every time a villain brakes out of Arkham or Blackgate and goes on a killing spree, should I add those numbers to the list too? I started when I was nine, I don't recommend doing the math. Normal villains sign their crimes with spray paint or send a letter to the press. The Joker stapled a playing card to the forehead of a dead guy and dropped him off on the front steps of city hall. It all depends on where you draw the line."

Robin paused, breathing heavily though his nose. He did a scan of the room; Megan looked on the verge of tears again. "I'm sorry." He muttered, raining his emotions back in and back peddling. "There is no need to make this worse. We just got off track. I'm just trying to help." Robin rolled his shoulders and let out a sigh. "I guess what I am trying to say is: don't fall to far either direction. There is nothing wrong with grieving. Take a couple days and appreciate life and the people you have in it. Then come back turbed."

Silence fell between the team, but some of the tension had melted away. It was Kaldur who finally spoke, "We should probably be getting back to bed." He said, glancing around uneasy.

No one moved, "I don't think I am ready to try and sleep yet." Megan admitted in a whisper.

"How about a movie?" Wally offered.

"Something distracting," Artemis agreed, shooting a look to Robin, "just for the night of course." She added.

Robin smiled back, "Something happy."

"Farris Bueller's Day off?" Wally said.

Megan shook her head, "Can it be something animated?"

The red head nodded, "Lion King?"

Robin shook his head vigorously, "Something else."

"How about Madagascar? Wally asked.

Artemis made a face, "Pass. I don't need that song stuck in my head."

Wally stuck out his tongue out, "You make an offer!" he snapped playfully. The tension in the room melted a little bit more at the usual banter.

Artemis rolled her eyes, "Finding Nemo?"

Wally was ready to argue when Megan interrupted, "Mulan!" she announced, stopping the argument before it could escalate.

Wally let out a playful grown, and Artemis punched him in the shoulder. "Sound good Megan." She said.

Robin jumped off the counter, "I'll make some popcorn." He offered, watching as most of the team trailed out into the living room; Kaldur stayed sitting at the dining table. Robin busied himself with the popcorn bag, waiting out the team leader to make the first move. Kaldur moved around the room, pulling two plastic bowls from one of the cupboard, waiting the microwave timer to run out.

The first bag finished heating and the smell of butter filled the room. Kaldur remained silent until the second bag started. "You have a number." He said. It wasn't a question.

Robin turned towards the team leader, "Don't we all?" he muttered. The thirteen year-old looked well passed his years. He held out the first bowl of popcorn as the timer counted down for the second.

The duo wondered out into the living room with popcorn in hand. Wally grabbed Robin by the arm, pulling him down on the couch wedging the little bird between himself and Connor. Megan was curled up in the clones lap while Artemis sat on Wally's other side. Kaldur settled down on the arm of the couch next to the team archer. The two armchairs remained forgotten and no one said anything about the closeness as the opening music began to play.

* * *

Batman and Black Canary stopped short in the living room doorway, the Young Justice team asleep around the couch.

Megan was tucked under Superboy's chin. Wally was on the ground, sprawled out on his back in front of the couch, an arm thrown over his face. Artemis was propped against Kaldur who was wedged into the corner of the couch. Robin was curled up over the two, using the armrest as a pillow.

Batman took a step back, Black Canary following suit. "I think therapy can wait a few hours." She whispered, following the Dark Knight to the garage.

Batman nodded in agreement, "They might not need it at all." Black Canary raised a questioning eyebrow, but and he continued, "When they wake up do a quick evaluation anyway and see where they stand. We can go from there."

"Bats?" The duo turned to find Robin standing in the doorway. The teen peeled off his mask, rubbing his bright blue eyes with the back of his hand before replacing it. The mask hung a little loose around his eyes, but still did its job. "Is there a problem?" Robin asked through a yawn.

Batman had to hide a smile, "Everything is fine Robin. Black Canary is here for some quick psych evaluations."

"What he means," Black Canary interrupted shooting the Dark Knight a glare, "is we are just going to have quick therapy sessions today."

Robin frowned, "Do I need an evaluation?" he asked, looking towards his mentor for the answer.

"Just a couple of minutes Robin," Batman said. The dynamic duo stared at each other for a few seconds until Robin nodded.

"Is the gym at least open?" the teen asked, with a roll of his shoulders. The Dark Knight nodded once. "Good," Robin muttered, more to himself than the adults. "I'll be there until you're ready, BC." He said, turning back out the door. "Call if you need me Bats!" he added before disappearing from view.

"Robin seems fine." Black Canary said.

"You and I both know what he has been through, Dinah." Batman stated as an explanation, turning towards the computers.

"He is wise beyond his years." Black Canary agreed.

"I know." The machine whirled to life and the Dark Knight disappeared in a small flash.

 


End file.
